Being Lucky
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Lucky the blind pigeon needs just the right home. I've tried a variety of scenarios for her since she became a MickaCoo bird at the start of this year and have yet to find the right one.The couple that rescued her after she was struck by a hawk, introduced her to me with these pictures so clearly she's open to special friendships.
For the couple of months that her rescuers had her (before relocating to Indonesia), Lucky was a cherished and happy house pet.
(Please note that even friendly contact with cats can be harmful to birds and MickaCoo does not recommend it.)
For the couple of months that her rescuers had her (before relocating to Indonesia), Lucky was a cherished and happy house pet.
When taken in by me, I believe the change was traumatic and depressing for her. Her whole world was different and her whole life was gone and as a blind bird, I think it must have been very overwhelming to have to start all over in a completely new environment.
Lucky never complains and is always an extremely good sport about her situation. At first she was fostered alone in my house and spent some supervised time visiting the other pigeons outside in my backyard coop.
She seemed lonesome and tried to make friends but her blindness and differentness made finding a mate difficult and she was more likely to be bullied than courted by the sighted pij.
Soon after Lucky came to stay with me, I took in another hawk-struck bird, this one a Persian High Flyer that I named Biscuit. He was very hurt and has had a long, slow recovery. He was too frail himself to hassle Lucky and she seemed content to hang out by his side.
Over time, their quiet friendship blossomed into a romance, of sorts.
I was thrilled that Lucky had found a mate and felt much better about her quality of life though it was still not ideal. Lucky & Biscuit are the only (seemingly) mated pigeons I've ever know to bicker. Sometimes Lucky will peck at him and sometimes he will peck at her. Eventually they'll end up snuggling again but sometimes I wonder how happy they are together. While they do preen each other and snuggle, I've never seen them mate and Lucky has never laid an egg.
Lucky & Biscuit continued to live indoors with me until one day, in February, I very cautiously and carefully agreed to let them be fostered with the expectation of an adoption if all went well. I was hesitant to relocate Lucky because of her blindness (which I think must make changes much more difficult than they would normally be) but motivated by the possibility of her finding an ideal forever home.
Unfortunately, it didn't work out and Lucky & Biscuit came back to me. They did well indoors and I'm impressed with how Lucky learned her way around the house. Usually she stayed near their cage but I did let them free-range and occasionally I'd find her in an unusual spot.
People ask me if Lucky can see anything from her "good" eye and I don't know whether she can or not. She may perceive light or motion but she is functionally blind and will walk off an unexpected edge or bump into an obstacle. She figures her environment out though and I'm amazed with how well she has coped with all the changes she's been through. I never wanted her to go through any changes and she's had more than probably any foster pigeon I've had as I struggle to find the right place for her.
For example, in an effort to provide her and Biscuit with a more enriched life, I recently tried moving them outside to a cage near the coop where they can have the benefit of sun and fog and wind and the closer company of other pigeons.
And, while it is a "big" cage at 3' wide, 2' deep and 3' high, it isn't big enough and their life there, though nice because outside, was too constricted and dull.
The latest change that I've put Lucky through is moving her and Biscuit into the coop with the other pigeons and, amazingly, it almost works.
The new nest box towers that volunteers so kindly built for me have worked extremely well and, after the initial new-box conflicts, my pigeons (adopted and fosters), settled down so well that I dared to introduce blind Lucky and still-frail Biscuit.
They have their own nest box and know that it is theirs. The other birds understand that too and, after a few scuffles, Lucky & Biscuit have been left in peace.
Lucky has learned how to go in and out of her nest box and sometimes explores a good ways and then is able to find it again. She spends most of her time in it despite not actually being in nesting mode. I think she does because it is familiar and relatively safe and she can relax rather than wonder what's going to happen next.
Sometimes she's hassled by the other pigeons (as in the case where Frances is charging her in the picture above) but, for the most part she seems to go unmolested. I spend a lot of time looking out the window watching or, when she's out of view, running outside to make frequent checks on her and I've been surprised by how well she's doing in the "general population".
It's almost but not quite the right home for Lucky. While she's mostly safe, she is at risk of being bullied and possibly hurt. Yesterday Lucky wandered into territory that big old king hen Country considers her own and Country trounced Lucky the way she would any trespassing pigeon except that Lucky can't see the route to make a safe and proper escape. I saw it happen and watched for awhile to see what the outcome would be (not a fun time for Lucky nor me). Eventually I intervened. Lucky wasn't hurt and seems to be behaving normally since but I can't help but worry that this life is too enriched, too risky for her.
Lucky is a beautiful, blue-check tame feral pigeon and she needs the right home. I think she'd probably be happiest living indoors with a lot of attention and understanding from her person. I'd like to see her and Biscuit stay together but I would consider placing her as a single bird in the right home. Please give some thought to people you know that might be a good match for this smart, quiet and very special bird. To apply, please complete our online application or email me at AdoptKings@gmail.com.
5/18/11 UPDATE:
I caught king pigeon Frances picking on Lucky for no good reason and decided it was time to end the living-in-the-coop experiment for Lucky. I brought her in to her old cage and she knew right where her food and water and nest box were and seemed happy to be back. Later I brought Biscuit in too. Their relationship is very confusing to me and different from that of other "mated" pigeons. When he joined her in the nest box, she pecked at him and drove him away. An hour later, she was preening and snuggling with him. For now I think they are good roommates but I'm not completely convinced they are a match made in heaven. I think Lucky needs to be a person's pet and live indoors with lots of on-the-shoulder time and safe exploring in a peaceful, secure environment.
8/6/11
2 Comments:
Oh, I hope they can go together! What a touching story.
Elizabeth, this is just heartbreaking and heart warming at the same time. Our kitty has lost some of her vision -- so, reading about Lucky tapped into some of the sadness I have over my girl's changing perceptions and her sense of security. I can't even articulate how grateful I am that people like you exist to help birds like these two. Truly. This is an unbelievable story of love and diligence on your part.
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